San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-09-01

Nothing serious was suspected at first, but In
the course OF a few days lt was seen that
they meant business Jim Bones farm, south
OF town, which might have been had a month
ago for $500, was sold TO the strangers for
S2,50O, and they paid $500 Of II down. Prices
went up right away, and when Jim tried to
buy another place he found that he couldn't
reach anything within ten miles Of the Jail
unless he borrowed money. The day after
the sale the strangers announced that they
had discovered natural gas on the Bones
place, and, sure enough, that night the skies
in that direction were brilliantly Illuminated
The entire population turned out to sec the
sight. Just back Of the shed which Jim had
used as barn was an iron pipe, and from
the nozzle Of IL there issued flaring and
spluttering fame. Everybody stood speech
less except Jim, who raved and swore, and
tried 10 pick fight with one Of the visitors
Other citizens interfered at this point, and a
disturbance was prevented
"You see," said one of the strangers, "we
are natural gas experts from Pennsylvania
We have been following this vein all the way
from Uniontown. Some chaps from Pittsburg
got in ahead Of us at point in Ohio where
we looked for it, and the same way down
near Terre Haute, Ind. When we located 1t
property that belonged 20 a minor heir, and
we could not get possession. Then we set out
for the west, for we knew that It would reap
pear somewhere out here There were symp-
toms in Missouri, and better prospects yet at
Larned, but this is more like IT, The thing
don't work just right yet, though. We will
have to go down further. Some of these wells
are five miles deep You can imagine what
IL down below you here when tell you that
this vein has been tapped at depth of only
forty feet. / haven't any doubt that at a fair
depth you can find gas enough here to illumi-
nate the continent"
CALLED A TOWN MEETING
The next day the strangers called town
meeting and announced their intention of or
ganizing a stock company for the purpose Of
developing the vein They had many other
enterprises on hand, and as they would be
away much of the time, they would like to
have some interested parties on the ground.
They would want superintendent at cool
salary, and they would have to have an office
where they could mature plans TO distribute
the gas all over western Kansas and eastern
Colorado. Mr.. Kenyon, the banker, was
elected superintendent at salary Of 5000 u
year, and a fine room in his building was
rented as an office. 1t was in this place that
the stock was subscribed for.
The terms were made easy enough to suit
almost anybody. The capital stock was to
be 100000, and any man OF woman who
could put up 10 per cent. was entitled to what
was wanted. Even the preacher came In for
81 1000, his parishioners putting up the margin
for him on the ground that when the Lords
bounty had been literally bestowed upon the
town it would not be right to permit his
chief servant to suffer through his poverty.
The banker also advanced considerable
money for the weak sisters who had no ready
money, taking mortgages on their farms or
stock. In this way $4,000 worth Of stock
was taken in one day. The discoveries posi-
lively refused to sell more than this, as they
said they always made IL a point to retain a
controlling interest in all property that they
developed. This appeared reasonable, and
no complaints were made
STARTLING DISCOVERY
A few days later the strangers announced
that they would start for the east last Satur-
day for the purpose of securing the proper
machinery. Before they left they gave sew
sral exhibitions of the power of the gas,
generally at night. They had a stop on the
pipe, and when that was opened and match
applied the flame blew up about two feet
and gave the greatest satisfaction. A watch
man was hired to guard the well, and when
the gentlemen came to leave a committee of
citizens escorted them TO the railroad and
wished them a successful trip and a speedy
return. Sunday the entire town visited the
well and many attempts to experiment with
it were made Lum HuddleSton, the watch
man, warned the crowd away repeatedly,
and at length was constrained to strike a
man who persisted in meddling with the stop
cock. The fellow was from the northern
part of the county, and he had been in the
habit Of doing about as he wanted to. When
Lum hit him, therefore, he hit back and be-
fore anybody could stop it there was fight,
in the course of which Lum was thrown
heavily against the pipe, and the whole thing
came up by the roots. About four feet under
the surface, and attached to the upright pipe,
was gasoline reservoir, and that was all.
The panic that fell on the town was in
describable. Every face blanched. Some
one said in the presence of the preacher that
it was nothing but id cook stove, and he
was not rebuked for the utterance. The
banker went back TO his Office and put up a
card announcing that he had suspended for
ten days in order to examine his books. The
farmers who mortgaged their farms to him
held a meeting and agreed that If be took
step toward foreclosure they would kill him.
That Is the way matters stand now. IL is
said that the sharpers were Denver bunco
men-New York Sun.